Kilimanjaro Climb Cost
The cost of climbing Kilimanjaro varies depending on the route, number of days, and level of service. On average, it ranges between $2,000 – $3,500 per person, covering park fees, guides, porters, meals, camping equipment, and transfers. Additional costs may include tips, personal gear, visas, and travel insurance.
Cost for Extra Accommodation
Extra accommodation in Arusha or Moshi before or after the climb usually costs $60–$120 per night per room, depending on the hotel standard (budget, mid-range, or luxury).
Cost for Extra Transfers
Extra transfers after the Kilimanjaro climb, such as from Moshi/Arusha to Kilimanjaro Airport or to other destinations, usually cost $50–$100 per vehicle depending on the distance.
Cost Breakdown
The cost to climb Mount Kilimanjaro doesn’t come as a wish of any tour operator who organizes your strip. It is a combination of many expenses and expenditures for preparing the best trip. This is because mount Kilimanjaro is not a technical-based mountain climb. It requires a proper plan by the operator, preparation, and good health. Although mount Kilimanjaro doesn’t need physical fitness, a certain level of hiking fitness matters. So a lot of expenses will be going to facilitate the preparation of your climb.
Let’s check the mount Kilimanjaro climbing cost breakdown, one by one.
Kilimanjaro National Park Fee
Like any national park that you will visit in Africa, climbing mount Kilimanjaro will require any tourists to pay park fees introduced by the authority. The fees for climbing mount Kilimanjaro are $50 camping fee, $70 entry fee, and $60 hut fee at the Marangu route. These are the daily fees that should be added with a $20 rescue fee, US $15 fly doctor rescue fee. Depending on the number of days on the mountain, the average amount of the total fee on the mountain is up to the US $1,000, for a 7 days trip. The price includes the VAT.
Tour Operator’s Fee
You can not climb Mount Kilimanjaro without a certified operator. If you are thinking about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro yourself, you can’t do so for the case of Mount Kilimanjaro. The Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Authority put in place some of the regulations including that all tourists should climb the mountain with verified operators. A tour operator is the one who will take care of everything throughout your hike.
So your plan about mount Kilimanjaro climbing cost should include the charges that will be invoiced by the Operators. The charges of tour operators who will be ready to offer a mid-range service can start from $1,600 US to $3,000, depending on the operator you choose.
Mountain Crew/Porters Tips
Even if you go hiking mount Kilimanjaro as a Solo traveler, expect to have a mountain crew of more than two people. In each climb, you will need a mountain guide, 3 porters, and a cooker. Porters are the ones that will make your climb possible. Thy is responsible for handling all other activities like carrying your luggage, camping equipment, preparing food and so on. All the tasks can not be done by you and your mountain guide. So the crew will help you to have a smooth accend by dealing with little stuff like carrying your phone or a camera so you can enjoy your good time on the mountain.
The crew on mount Kilimanjaro consists of very cheap labour who are paid very little by tour operators. Some of the operators don’t pay them at all, their aim is to cut off the price of their packages and increase their margins. Some of the operators expect the crew to get their wages from tips. It is an unusual situation you can’t control.
In order to support the crew, any reasonable amount of tip would be appreciated by them and you will be directly supporting their families. You can budget $200 to $350, or even more as you can afford for tipping the crew.
